Kompleksitas

We had overnight around Kalong Island in the boat. This was my first time spending the night on the boat. First time, I was felt insecure and thought wouldn’t had enough time to rest. As yesterday I had three times snorkling in a day and it was super tiring, I finally revealed that sleeping in a very small room in a boat was okay for whom very tired.

On the way to Rinca Island

Rinca Island

Before having our breakfast, we have short trekking on both of the big island of National Park. The first was Loh Buaya, Rinca Island. ‘Loh’ means Bay and ‘Buaya’ means Komodo for natives. As I had mentioned in my last post, Rinca Island was the location where most of Komodo lives. They also made the island as one of the national park so the Komodo were conserved, but they still living normal live, not like touring a zoo and feed them. They still arranged to have a normal fighting live, to survive.

Welcome to Komodo National Park, Loh Buaya, Rinca Island.

Don'ts

Leave them survive!

Another don'ts announcement board

So, the trekking was the shortest one, about a kilometre track. After paying the entrance fee IDR 12,000 ++ for domestic tourist (additional fee for camera brought from outside) and IDR 30,000 ++ for international tourist, we walked for about 300 metres until we found the first security guard post to had a first announcement of the track, komodos, and the trekking’s regulation itself.

The sun shone really hard

Go green Rinca Island. Contact the officers if you would like to greener the island, then your name would be on the signboard

Rinca Island was one island of Komodo National Park. The island were lived by birds, monkeys, deers, horses, buffalos, and snakes. Because of the natural living, the rangers (the way we called the group’s guard) were told us not to be separated from the group.

On my left hand was the tools to defend yourself from Komodo's attack

Not really far from the first place where we were announced about the safety regulations, we found about 8 Komodos gathered around the kitchen which intentionally made by the officer of national park to attract Komodos. Komodos have a very good ability on smelling things around 5-12 km in radius. So, it came around the kitchen all day. We took many pictures on the very first Komodos we ever met after all. They were very calm at that time.

The "kitchen" to attract Komodos

Woohoo, it's really scary. They could attack us anytime.

About 8 of them

On our way of trekking, we found Komodo’s ground hole to hide theirs egg. A female Komodo was on the hole looking for another’s egg, it meant to eat the egg, but seems like it found nothing. The hole were sized about 1 meter in radius and 1 meter in depth. It made many holes but only one hole were used to keep her egg, the trick to avoid another to prey its egg.

She came out from the other's hole

Their tricks

They were breed on September on each year, and left their eggs after 2-3 months. Before that time, don’t you dare to distract their eggs. The mom would be very angry, but after that time, it possible to eat her own eggs. After the baby Komodo born, they lived in the trees until 5 years. Baby Komodo were more active and interested in finding their preys, it bite their preys, the preys were bleeding, then the old Komodos would be able to smell the blood then ready to eat it all up. The danger came after the old Komodo already made its decision to prey us, really difficult to escape.

The difference between male and female Komodo were in the size of head, body, and tail. Male Komodo has a bigger head and body also longer tail than the female.

The view from the top in Rinca Island

This all worth to try. After hiking the hill, you would see this beautiful, Loh Buaya (Komodo's Bay)

6 of us on the top!

The explorer

Good Bye, Rinca Island!

We moved to another island of the park, named Loh Liang, Komodo Island. The entrance fee just the same with Rinca island. The name of the animal Komodo came because it was first found on this island of Komodo. So, the name were Komodo nowadays. In this island, we found many bigger Komodos until the size of 3,10 metres long. The Komodos were older, and we also found pig and also deer around the island.

Friends of mine were in trouble. They should wait the sea level rised.

The random sea waves. Indonesian Bermuda Triangle?

Welcome to Komodo Island

I bought the souvenirs selled by the native people of Komodo Island. There were some shirts, Komodo miniature, and pearl necklace.

Komodo

Yes, yes, yes.

Komodo should be conserved and protected. They were attacking people, but as Komodo has been became the part of national park, we have the responsibility to not hurting and attacking them. They remained less than 3,000 lives around the island.

Woohoo, watch out!

Sweet Komodo😉

Today, I also met my new friend also coming from Bandung which on their way to finish their on-job training in both of the island. I met Adit from Biology Department, 2008, from my campus Bandung Institute of Technology and Chez from ENHAI School of Tourism Bandung, 2008. Chez already spent 5 months in the island, while Adit only has 1 month for his training.

After an hour trekking, we moved to Pink Beach. It only took 30 mins from Komodo Island. Why it named pink? The sand were pink because of the dead and crushed coral mixed with the sand on the beach. I wasn’t snorkled anymore time since I have the responsibility to not too tanned for my next duty. So, the boat and all of the group were agreed just to look around and took a picture, then continue our way back to land.

Pink Beach

After almost 36 hours on the sea, we were went back to the land, back to the hotel. The ship from Pink beach to Tilong Harbour, Labuan Bajo was about 3 hours.

All of the trip and a little unusual with changing habitual were paid off. Eventhough we should overnight on the boat, super duper tanned and bleeding scratches by the coral while snorkling, the moment we finally met Komodo was the top of all the things. The beautiful Komodo which we only seen from TV or any medias before was finally came true. AWESOME WITH NO DOUBT.

Our dinner was on Gardena Restaurant, the same with our first lunch at the first day on Labuan Bajo.

Tomorrow we were gonna flying back to Denpasar, to continue our way back to Jakarta.